Romantic comedy playing during Valentine's Month

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A comedy about love and mischief is scheduled during February, the Valentine month, at the South Jordan Community Theater.

The play, written by Utahn Annie Pulsipher, is about a brother and sister who have terrible luck in love. It also has stage mom, a neurotic ex-girlfriend, a recluse and voodoo.

Speaking of magic, the name of the romantic farce is "Voodoo You Do."

The plot centers around a jealous ex-flame who creates mayhem at a family dinner, with the help of a voodoo practitioner, said Toni Butler, president of the South Jordan Community Theater, and who also plays the Voodoo Lady.

"Everyone starts falling in love with everyone else," added Butler. "There's a lot of love being thrown in different directions. It has a lot of humor and a sweet ending."

Two of the actors in the play, Jonathan Pulsipher (who plays Brian) and Katie Brown (the possessive mother), happen to be the siblings of the playwright. There's even more connections: Butler, a former teacher at East High School, also taught all three siblings.

Butler is contacting other high school teachers, with the hopes they will consider staging similar productions. Pulsipher won the Mayhew playwriting contest for "Voodoo You Do" at Brigham Young University last year in the full-length category and the year before as a one-act play.

"Voodoo You Do" is Annie Pulsipher's first full-length play and, technically, this is the production's world premiere.

"I naturally gravitate toward farce, with confused identities and doors slamming," said Pulsipher, 21, who is a senior at BYU. "There's way too much pain and suffering in theatre, it loses the point of entertaining. I wanted to explore a full, silly romantic comedy with true, human emotions. I threw in some magical voodoo and added a little chaos and some food."

The play is being performed at Early Light Academy, a charter school located at 11709 S. Vadania Dr (5115 West).

The school is affiliated with South Jordan Community Theatre, formerly Daybreak. There are hopes that someday a fine arts facility will be built. But in the meantime, theater goers are being directed to the Really Little Theater room at the school, where Butler teaches.

"If you trust us enough to come out, you'll find the Really Little Theater is a jewel," said Butler. "You'll also love the play."

The community theater began in 2007 when Butler approached the neighborhood Daybreak Community Council to put on "The Wizard of Oz."

South Jordan City encouraged the endeavor, along with a name change to South Jordan Community, reflecting the southwest portion of the Salt Lake Valley, known for its large building lots and large families.

"We're a bedroom community, but we love arts and culture just as much as anyone," said Lori Edmunds staff liaison for the city's Public Art & Cultural Development Board. "Toni and her group have created a variety of entertainment opportunities for both adults and children to watch and enjoy."